The invention relates to a medical therapeutic and/or diagnostic apparatus having a function unit. The diagnostic apparatus also includes a first detecting device for detecting positions and a second detecting device which coacts with the first detecting device. The second detecting device is separated from the first detecting device by a signal path and is mounted so as to be stationary with respect to both position and orientation.
A therapeutic and/or diagnostic apparatus of the kind described above is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,408,409. This apparatus has a function unit, which is configured as a surgical cutting tool, on which an LED arrangement is mounted which functions as a position detecting device. A further detecting device is spaced therefrom and is configured as a camera arrangement fixed with respect to position and orientation.
Additional therapeutic and/or diagnostic apparatus having a function unit configured as a surgical microscope are described in German patent publication 197 51 781 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,183,415.
It is an object of the invention to provide a therapeutic and/or diagnostic apparatus which is improved with respect to the accuracy of the detection of position. It is a further object of the invention to improve the apparatus of the invention so that it is less sensitive to disturbances.
The medical therapeutic and/or diagnostic apparatus of the invention includes: a function unit; a first detecting device associated with the function unit; a second detecting device for coacting with the first detecting device and being mounted so as to be stationary in position and orientation; the second detecting device being separated from the first detecting device by a signal path; and, the first detecting device being mounted so as to be movable relative to the function unit so as to be changeable with respect to both position and orientation.
Because of the change of position and orientation of the position detecting device relative to the function unit during work with the apparatus, the signal path can be optimized to avoid shading while considering the particular operating situation by selecting a suitable position for the position detecting device relative to the function unit. The shading is caused, for example, by medical personnel during a medical procedure.
In one embodiment, the position detecting device is in the form of a position detecting arm having a transmitting unit with active markers, for example, at least three transmitting elements arranged so as to be spatially distributed. These transmitting elements can be LEDs or ultrasonic transmitters. The position detecting device can, however, also include passive markers (for example, reflecting surfaces) which can be detected by an additional detecting device.